Process of manufacturing gas.



H. PETTIBONB. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GAS.

AYPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 15, 1906.

Patented June 3, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

anvcnto'n in ease:

H. PETTIBONE. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1906.

Patented June 3, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M A T sfil WE m is v v awuznlroz attomwq Wat asses H. PETTIBONE.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GAS. APPLiUATIoN FILED SEPT. 15, 190

1% Patented June 3, 1913 4 sums-SHEET s.

( 1 a we nib":

H. PETTIBONE.

IRGUES OF MANUFACTURING GAS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1906.

Patented June 8, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

'Lws aa o r 1 I n a onrran s'ra'ras arana orrrcn.

HAWLEY PETTIBONR OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MINING MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW THE rownnnnn JERSEY.

PROCESS F MANUFACTURING GAS.

i ,oeassa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patente d June 3,1913.

Application filed September 15, 1906. SerialNo. 334,821.

To all whom it may comern: Y

Be itknown that l, HAwLnY Prrrrmonn, a

citizen of the llnited States. residin at,

New Rochelle,.in the county of \Vestchester 5 and State of New York, have invented cermanufacturing and delivering gas suitable fer motive power and heating purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide for introducing air, to supportcombustion,

centrally into a body, of fuel and cause such air and the resulting gaseous products to tlow downward centrally by exhaust so as to draw them away from the side walls of the cupola and prevent active combustion and clinkering along or adjacent to the walls.

Another. object is to provide for. delivering. or admitting hotair and steam centrally into-a body of fuel in a cupola generator or producer and fresh fuel eccentrically or circumferentially around and above the' air and steam inlet so as to cause the gaseous products distilled from such fresh fuel to mingle with the air and steanrand pass down centrally through the body of incandescent fuel below for conversion into fixed high grade gas.

Another object is to provide for generating high grade producer-gas and regulating or Cleaning the fire or body of-fuel to keep it open 'by drawing air and the gases of combustion and distillation down through the body of fuel and intermittently admitting jets or blasts of aeriform fluid under pressure and impulses into the base, or below 40 the body of fuel-for blowing out\ ash and uniformly and continuously generating gas bydown drift and intermittently cleaning the fire orsbody of incandescent fuel by admitting part of the gaspreviously generated in the producer,-under pressure and so impulses into the base of the fuel, whereby the fire will not be as and intori ittently cleaning the killed, or deadened by such blast,

Another 1 ing gas by- "jectis to'provide for generatwn-draft in a oupola 'enerator iire by a counter-blastof aeriform fluid, admitted under pressure and impulses into the base or below the incandescent fuel and discharging or blowing the resulting products, dust and ashes into the open air.

Another object is to provide for generating gas, compressing and storing a volume of such under pressure produced independently of the main gas engine, and intermittingly admitting such gas inimpulses into the base or below the body of incandescent fuel for cleaning the tire of d ust and ashes.

A suitable apparatus for carrying out my process comprises, broadly considered, a downdraft gas-producer furnace, a preheater, or combined air heater'and water-- vaporizer, a wet and dry scrubber, a positive exhauster. a by-pass and valved pipe connecting with the inlet and outlet pipes of the exhauster, automatic control devices connecting the holder and by-p'ass valve, suitable purge pipes and valves and details of construction as will. be desrri bed by refer ence to the. accompanying drawings in which i Figure liepresents an elevation, partly in vertical section, of the apparatusu" Fig.2 represents a vertical section, on enlarged scale, of the generator or producer, and preheater. Fig. 2 represents a sectional View of part of the prehcater showing a modified constrimtion. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of a convenient arrangement of the' apparatus, -the scrubber being set back of the pi-cheater. F 1g. 4 represents a similartop plan view with additional devices for carrying out my process of manufacturing gas,

The cupola-generator or producer A is constructed with the usual plate iron shell, riveted together, and firebrick lining on a concrete foundation X, and is provided with a contracted ash-pit,B, having a brickfloor b and, preferably, with an arched brick grate 7) and hearth a. As shown in Fig. 9

. the ash-pit is of less internal diameter than the fuel chamber, the walls of the former being built up extra thick from the base to the grate, and there form an ahnular hearth (6 at the, base of the fuel chamber and a contracted grate opening. Since an eithauster is-u'sed, taking gases away by downdraft," this contracted grate. opening and annular hearth cause the gases to be I drawn away from the brick lining, or to be drawn downward without active combustion along the lining. The central air supply at the top also aids this action. 'Clinkering and its injurious effects at thebrick lining are avoided or almost entirely overcome, In t the wall of the ash-pit is pro vided a brick-lined gas outlet flue B extendingout into an iron casing b bolted tothe iron shell, and having an outer flange .to which is bolted the flange of the gas outlet pipe G.- The top plate of the cupola is provided with three,-more or less, oblong fuel supply openings, arranged around the central air supply chamber, and closed by tight fitting lids m. At the grate level is provided a clean-out opening 10 and a door frame closed by the door 3 havin a brick lining a. A similar opening w, a door frame and doorly are provided in the ashpit, and both doors are provided with the usual fastening devices.

In the top plate is made a large central opening into which is set the central, downwardly projecting air supply chamber, or

pipe D, supported'by a flange (i near the top and having an outer jacket- D forming an annular inlet passage d. The inner wall of this passage is provided. with numerous vertical inlet ports d into the interior of chamber D, causing the inflowing air, or air and steam, to be discharged centrally into the body of fuel in the main chamber C The chamber D is closed at the top by a tight fitting cover which is provided with a poke-hole, closed by a small cover (Z The chamber or pipe I) may be made of differentlengt-hs and" may extend deeper into the body of fuel than shown.

Between the wall of the cupola and cham- I ber D is formed an annular green-fuel res- 7 outlet pipe G connects with casing Z)" extends through shell F and is closed, at the ervoir or magazine C, which supplies fuel to the main-chamber C below, and forms an inverted cone-space 0 below chamber D.

A hot air and vapor supply pipe E passes through the wall of the cupola and connects with the jacket I) of chamber DI and at the outer end with a T-coupling llfl-Figs- 2, 3 and 4:, to which is connected a pipe E havin a valve 0, leading to the preheater F, an a purge-pipe E having a valve 6'', and leading to the open air for the escape of products, ash and cinder, when the fire is cleaned by a counter-blast.

The preheater I is constructed with an outer iron shell on a concrete fopndation X and is closed at the top by a plate 1 and has at its lower end the air inlet ports and the supporting saddles f". The gas and outer end by a plate 1 and rests upon the posts or saddles f. This pipe has an upward extension with flange g to which is connected the up-take pipe extending CIltrally into the shell F. An annular sup porting plate and-brackets g". are also secured to flange g. In constructing the preheater we provide an annular double lower head, or base H, resting on the bracketsupport 9, and an-upper head H and pipe connections. The lower head H is constructed with a circular inner wall h and a horizontal partition h, forming the upper open water chamber h and the closed lower gas chamber h. The head H is also bolted to the'outer shell as shown at the pipe connection L, but is of smaller diameter than the shell 1 so as to provide an annular air-passage z" between it and the shell. The inner wall It is of larger diameter than gas pipe G, providing-an air passa e c between said parts. The upper hea H is composed of plates K and K bolted together and forming a gas chamber a. The lower curved plate K forms a tube sheet and is connected at the central flanged opening to the uptake pipe G, preferably, by a screw-threaded connectionk. To the plate K is connected an annular cluster of tubes 7r extending down into the water chamber h and over the smaller short tubes is, which are secured to partition plate h, forming sliding joints therewith to permit of expansion and contraction of the parts without strain upon them. 7 The lower ends of the tubes is are free and may terminate near plate h and are sealed by the water in chamber h.

The gas outlet pipe L connects with chamber h and with shell F, is provided with valve Z and extends into the base of scrubber' M, where it terminates in a turned down end or dip-pipe L resting by its flange on supporting posts Z rising from the bottom .plate of the scrubber. A well known form .of wet scrubber M is supported on a foundation X and is provided with man-holes and covers m and horizontal grates m for supporting bodies of coke. An overflow pipe m connects with the shell of the-scrubber at the desired water level and extends down into a seal-pot- M A dry scrubber M is, preferably, superposed .on the scrubber M,

m. A water supply pipe T having branches and spraying devices, leads into the top of scrubber M.

A gas outlet pipe N leads centrally from the top of scrubber M to the positive exhauster P which is provided with a shaft on which is fixed a belt pulley Any desired power or a motor may be connected directly to the exhauster. A gas pipe P leads from the exhauster down and then up 'and is provided with man-holes and covers into the holder R, R and is proyitled with a valve 72 and a trap 72". IBeyo'ndfor below the exhaiister, in a horizontalfpart of pipe P is connected a purge pipehavinga valve 9, extending up and discharging into the open air. This plpe serves for discharging waste gaseous products when. starting the generator, or at other desired time.

' shaft at and closing downward on a cir-- A by-pass pipe 0 connects above with gas pipe N and below'with thedischarge pipe P leading fromthe exhauster, and is provided with a hinged valve'o having a justabl'e weight n for normallyholding the valveto its seat. To this lever-arm is connecte'd a cord or light chain u which passes over pulleys and is connected to an eye or staple s at the top of. the holder-bell R The pulleys may be arranged in any suit able manner, and for the purpose of illus simple inconstruction and effective in olp eration for automatically contrplling t e tration we have shown a post U connecting to the holder-tank, and having a lower pul ley 7' attached thereto, an upper pulley 1" being attached to a cross-bar U and a third pulley 7* being attached to said bar above the valve 0.

As shown, the cord or chain it passes from the top of bell R down around pulley 7-, then up over pulley 1", over pulley r and down to the lever handle 0" to which it is attached. The details of construction ofmechanism connecting the holderbell with the by-pass valve may be Varied so as to perform the operation of automatically opening saidvalve by the rise of the holder in a manner substantially as abovedescribed.. By means of this mechanism the holder-bell, when filled with gas and raised,

will open by-pa'ss valve 0 and the exhauster P will then simply circulate gas through its pipe connections and by-pass pipe 0, automatically stopping the operation of drawing airthrough the preheater into the producer and, therefore, practically stopping or checking the production of gas. So soon as the gas has been drawn from the holder sufliciently to lower the bell, causing it to fall, the by-pass valve will be gratin-- ally closed and the exhauster will again draw off gasfrom the producer, at the same time drawing air and vapor or steam into the bed of-fuel, thereby continuing the production of gas. This mechanism isvery I production of gas.

all

At any suitable place in the base ofthe cupola, and, preferably at the fishit B is connected an inlet ipe S to a m'tting compressed gas for clbaning and regu ating the fire oL'mdm ineandescent fuel. In the operation of drawing air-- or air and steam down into a'body of hot fuel and provided with a valve t;

to such an extent that very little air, or '7 steam, will ass through or be decomposed therein; and consequently the yield of gas falls much belowv the normal production and is often insuflicient to met the demand.

In order to overcome this diflicultv to makethe production more uniform and continuous, and avoid the interruption and delay incident to opening the clean-out door and removing ash, cinder, etc., from'the base of the fuel chamber, I draw from the holder it part of the storedgas, compress it by a compressing pump, preferably operated by an engine or motor independent of the main gas engine, and store it in a special tank or holder under a pressure of about one hung5 dred and fifty poundsto the square inch, and at intervals admit sudden pufis or blasts of such gas intothe base of the fuel. Before a blast of compressed gas is admitted through pipe S, valve 6 in pipe E Fig. 3,

is closed and valve e in purge pipe E opened, permitting dust and ashes to be blown out into the open air.

Any good combustible gasmay be comprcssedand used as above described, and a 95' combustible gas, such as is stored in holder R, is advantageous for the reason that a blast of such does not deaden the fire and check the yn'oduction of gas as will a waste inert gas, composed principally of nitrogen and carbonic acid, or products of combustion from a gas engine or other source.

In Fig. l Ihave shown diagrammatically,

in plan view, apparatus for storing gas 195 under pressure, including a motor or auxiliary engine and connections for operating the exhauster andthe compression pumpincluding also a main gas engine and other connections. The main gas engine J may be of anysvell known construction and is suppliedwith gas 'by'pipe' 7', leading from holder R and having a valve j. An aux- .iliary gas or gasolene engine I, or other motor (not shown) is used for operating acompression pump V, having a gas supply pipe 2; leading from gas pi e j and pro- -"1Cl8d with a valve a, and a dlsc arge pipe 1:

connecting with the gas storage tank W and motor I connects by a belt-wheel i and belt with the belt-wheel p of the exhauster P for driving the latter; it also eqnnects by belt-Wheel 2" and a belt with Wheel v of compressor V. A' pipe S, having a valve' $525 .9, connects with storage tank Wand leads .to the base of the producer or citpoila, preferably connecting with the ash pitl B, as shown in" Fig. 2. The gas compressed and stored in tank W, may be used W3. i ;de- 1'30 The engine or 1'20 sired for starting the main power engine J as, for instance, in the mormng, or at other time, when the gas is nearly or quite exhausted from holder R During operation of the plant precaution is taken to keep the tank I full of compressed gas, preferably at about one hundred and fifty pounds to the square inch. When starting the enine J valve 25 may be opened, admitting gas 't1rough branch pipe .9 and pipe S from tank \V to the engine.

This is a practical and satisfactory means for starting engine J Whenever required.

The operation of the apparatus is very simple and maybe conducted byan unskilled laborer.

The fire is kindled ber C, and may be first allowed to burn by natural draft While fuel is gradually fed in until a deep body thereof is well ignited. lVhen kindling the tire. and igniting a body of fuel the top cover r of the air I chamber may be open for a part or the whole of the time, but when gas is to be drawn otf by the exhauster such cover will be closed. The exhauster i being put in operation, air will be drawn through openings 7' into the preheatcr ll, through pipe E and thence down through the central air supply pipe D into the body of fuel and the re sulting producer gas is drawn centrally down through the body of incandescent fuel, through the contracted grate into the main gas take-up pipe G thence through the return pipes in the preheater and out through pipe L into the base of the scrubber. 'lhe will be then drawn up through the scrubber and off through the exhauster. If it is of sulliciently good quality to use for heating or motive power purposes it is stored in the holder R, but if it is of poor quality and not tit to store, the valve 79 is closed while valve r is opened permitting the waste to pass up through the purge combustion and the gas arising from distillation of the body of fuel in the reservoir C will be drawn centrally down through the body of fuel and away from the brick lining, thereby largely preventing the formation of channels along the wall and the formation of clinker by too active combustion, adjacent thereto. Better gasification of the fuel and production of fixed on the grate in cham- This commingled heated gas are thereby effect-ed, and the operation of the producer is made more regulaf' and uniform. At suitable intervals fresh fuel,

ing air centrally into the body of fuel,

activc combustion will take place ilflllldl ately at the central part of the fuel and oxygen of the air will be consumed or comhmed with carbon, (forming carbon mon-i oxid) before itcan reach the brick lining and there cause high heat and injury to the brick, or formation of clinker thereon. Tliis; saves much trouble and expense ord narily" incurred .in cleaning the side wall, insures a more uniform generation of gas, and 1s .preferably bituminous coal, is supplied otherwise quite important and advantageous in practice.

At any desired time the end plate 5] of the outlet. gas pipe G may be removed and dust and ashes cleaned out from pipe G. By this means the pipes of the preheater, and especially pipeG, maybe kept comparatively clean.

After operating the producerfor several hours by down-draft the bed of fuel becomes impacted or plugged with ash and cinder so that it; is very difficult to drawair and water vapor, or gas, through it, and consequently the yield of gas falls much below the normal andis often insutlicient to meet the requirements of for power or fuel purposes. 'When this condition arises the valve 6 in the purge pipe E is open, valve 0 in the air inlet pipe E is closed, and gas valve Z between the preheater and scrubber, is closed, and then a blast of compressed gas is admitted, by opening valve .9, in a sudden impulse or pull through pipe S into the ash pit. pressed gas will loosen pacted fuel in chamber up the body of im- C and clean out the ash and cinder from the interstices thereof and blow the same up and out through the purge-pipe E This operation may be repeated at short intervals until the body of fuel'is well opened and cleaned.

I have found in practice that tively small amount of compressed/gas will serve the purpose and that the operation can be performed very quickly (in an instant) so as not to materially interfere-with the generation of gas. Though I prefer to compress and store in tank W par-1; of the gas pro This sudden blast or puff of com-,

a cpmpara cent, is

duced in furnace A, as being more convenient and satisfactory for the purposes above described, my invention is not confined to such specific operation, and I may compress and store under pressure any good combustible gas which will serve for starting the main engine J and for blasting the fuel to blow out dust and ashes. By the use of combustible gas'for this purpose the fire is not deadened or the temperature lowered, so that the production and delivery of gas at full or increased volume may be resumed immediately on opening valve 6' and closing the purge valve and opening valve Z in the gas outlet pipe L. This is quite important from a point of economy, and also for the purpose of constantly delivering a sufficient volume of gas for thelarge power engine or engines which are in operation. If steam is used under pressure and impulse for cleaning the tire, the temperature is immediately lowered, due to decomposition, to an objectionable degree. If gas containing much carbonic acid, or products of combustion, are used much heat is absorbed from the fuel by con version of carbonic acid into carbon monoxid, and this product is blown away and wasted. I

By running the exhauster continuously, during operation of the plant, much time and power are economized for the reason that I avoid the necessity of overcoming the resistance orinertia of the gas in the generator, preheater or econoinizer and scrubbecdue to stopping and then starting the eXha-uster and gas producing operation, thereby gaining the valuable result of more quickly and effectively resuming the production of gas at will. In fact, when the by pass valve is closed the exhauster immediately draws good producer-gas from the producer or generator and delivers itto the holder from which it may flow directly to the gas engine. i I

The apparatus shown and described in this application is not herein claimed asit is made the subject of a separate application for patent filed February 1, 1907, Serial N umber 355,191. M

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patl. The consists in introducing air centrally within and below the surface of a body of fuel ignited below the air inlet, consuming theorygen of the air in oxidizing the interior coal before the air can reach and cause combusco-nsistsin passing air centrally c ashes out into-the open air intermittent process of producing gas, which tion of the fuel and preventing formation of cl1nker on said lining of the producer.

2. The process of producing gas, which lown into and below the surface of a body of ignited fuel, consuming the oxygen of the air in oxidizing the interior coal before the air can reach and cause combustion of carbon in contact with the brick. walls, at the same time feeding fresh bituminous coal above and around the central air draft and along in contact with the brick lining and drawing the resulting gases of distillation and combustion centrally down through the body of incandescent fuel. out of direct contact with said lining at the side walls for converting hydrocarbon vapors and carbon dioxid into fixed combustible gas and preventing formation of clinker on the brick lining of the pro ducer. r

3. The process of producing gas, which consists of admitting air or air and steam, centrally within and below the surface of a body of 'fuel and drawing it down into the same, consuming the oxygen of. the air in oxidizing the interior coal before the air can reach and cause combustion of carbon in contact with the brick walls, feeding fresh or green fuel above the central air inletand along the side walls, drawing the resulting gases down through the meandescent fucl, compressing and storing a volume of such gas under pressure, intermit tently' shutting off the upper air supply,

opening an upper a counter blast of said compressed gas at the base'ofthe fuel,

thereby blowing dust and through the purge pipe,

purge -pipe, then closing the body of fuel again admitting-air within the and drawing gas down through continuing the manufacture of gas by said operations. i

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

1 HAWL'EY PETTIBONE. Witnesses: v i

' HARRISON B. -FREEMAN, Jr.,,

EDNA R. PouLsoN.

purge pipe and admitting the same and 

